The Beginning of the End
Gambling is one of the things I'm best at, with cards, life, or with the enemy. And, somehow, I've always come out on top. Mostly. And now battered, bloody and bruised, I've got a choice to make. A high stakes gamble, the stakes being all the life in the galaxy. No pressure. Trying to defeat the Reapers without the Crucible was out of the question, they are too highly advanced.
Destroying all synthetics was also a no go, as long as no one provoked the GETH and they remained peaceful they deserved the chance to live, Edi included.
Synthesis, while appealing, was risky in the long run, no one would accept the Reapers, except possibly the GETH since they're more logical than emotional. And the Reapers may not remain peaceful, while the GETH proved themselves to prefer peace, the Reapers...dropout with their track record.
Control, assuming the almighty, omnipotent, holographic brat Isn't bullshitting me, uses me to make a new AI with my memories and thoughts, which in turn allows me some control over this new AI's actions and thinking. Still a gamble but one with a chance to allow me to influence the actions of the Reapers. So with a plan in mind I stepped forward thinking and remembering about everyone that held me steady when I stumbled, that picked me up when I fell, that gave me the resolve to not bow down before the impossible but to, instead of facing forward, look up at the vast sky and see where the possible was only limited by the imagination, and I have a pretty big imagination.
Grabbing onto the silverish gleaming handles I thought and remembered, thought some more and remembered some more and more and more, when things started to fade and the pain long forgotten I still thought and...remembered...till...every...thin..g...we..nt...b..la..c.k...
"It has now been 2 weeks since the Reaper's sudden retreat and the mysterious static wave that emanated from the Citadel, rumored to be the cause of the retreat. What had caused this wave, though? Admiral Hacket has this to say.
'With the Reaper's retreat comes a great relief and joy to all sentients, but also sadness as we remember all that was destroyed and all that was lost. But as we move forward and rebuild it is my duty to report that this is all possible thanks to the men and woman sacrificed their lives to fight and push back the Reaper's advance to allow 2 soldiers to infiltrate enemy lines and into the Citadel. Councilor Anderson died to the enemies attempt to stop them from activating the Crucible and Spectre Jane Shepard sacrificed herself to activate the Crucible and force the Reaper retreat...'"
Garrus picked up the remote and turned off the tv. He stared at his three taloned hand that held the remote with his back facing the silent crowd behind him. The Alliance was finally able to finish repairing earth's satellites and radio towers, with the help of allied sentient forces, to allow faster communication and the News reports to come through. The Alliances gave Normandy's crew a few television sets and they immediately hooked them up. The majority of the crew crowded one of the tv's to listen to the News and to comfort each other.
Now that everyone heard what they wanted to hear, no one complained when Garrus turned off the television. With the tv shut off the crowd slowly dispersed leaving Shepard's inner circle surrounding the television.
"I got a message from Admiral Hacket, about their funeral dates..." Traynor spoke after a long moment of silence to no one in particular. She then turned and started walking back to the Normandy.
"Shit. I'm going for a drink." Vega stood from the crate he's been sitting on, and he too started to walk back to the Normandy. Cortez turned and followed with Joker mumbling "gonna need a drink also", Edi followed Joker.
Before long everyone returned to the Normandy heading to their respective bunks or rooms.
"Hey, did you hear the news?"
Garrus looked over just as Kaidan sat down next to him on the bar.
"About the funeral dates? Yea."
"That too, but I meant the one about the Reaper's repairing the Relay's."
Garrus glanced sharply at Kaidan but before he could reply someone else jumped in.
"Seriously!? Huh, that's 'probly thanks to Shepard, if I had to take a guess." Vega sat down on Garrus's left as he spoke and ordered another drink from the bartender.
"If it was caused by the crucible? Yea it would be her. But what do you think the Reapers are gonna do after they're done?"
"That's the million dollar question, isn't it? Every single military fleet is up there with their guns primed in case the Reapers start attacking again." Kaidan sighed as he swirled the ice in his glass around. The bartender plunked down two bottles of wine in front of him.
"This ones dextro and their both on the house." He nodded to the three of them as he walked away.
"Thanks." Kaidan passed the dextro wine to Garrus then opened the other bottle.
6 Months Later
When the Reapers finally finished repairing the Mass Relays they jumped through taking their ground forces with them and disappearing into dark space. With the Relays repaired the allied forces were finally able to return to their respective galaxy's and help rebuild and repair, as for the Geth and Quarians, they lived together, in a somewhat uneasy peace. Hundreds of years of conflict, racism will take awhile to disappear so strict laws where made among the Quarians to decrease the friction.
Commander Jane Shepard and Councilor David Anderson were given a hero's funeral, Anderson was buried in London once the graveyard was cleared of debris and a memorial was set up for Jane in Shepard national park in New York, her coffin was buried in a military graveyard as she had no blood relatives to pick one.
The Normandy's crew eventually went their separate ways but not before hosting one last party in Shepard's name. The Normandy itself was noncommissioned and 2 years later moved to a Alliance military museum where the public could view it from afar, only museum staff, military personnel and Normandy's crew could actually go up and access the frigate.
4 years later the Normandy was somehow stolen and took off into space.
Needless to say it didn't take all that long for the theft to reach the ears of Liara T'Soni and when it did? Furious was an understatement.
"Shadow Broker?" the voice inquired from her display.
"Very good, inform me if you find out where the Normandy was taken."
The informant nodded before disconnecting. Liara turned and started pacing. A slow throbbing headache started as the blood rushed to her head.
"I need to hit something…" Liara started to rub her temples. How could they be so careless as to let the Normandy be taken!? Those idiots! I need to find out where it is and who's taken it… Liara went back to her desk and started contacting informants in Alliance space, the Citadel and Omega as to find out where the frigate has gone and who the thieves are.
Breath, I can flay the thieves when I find them later.
"Glyph."
"Yes, Doctor T'Soni." A blue holographic sphere floated up next to Liara's head.
"Send a message to Joker to contact me as soon as possible."
"Right away, Doctor T'Soni."
Liara leaned back in her chair, drumming her fingers on the armrest. I need my gun…
"Ahh I feel alive again. No pun intended." Steering the frigate I wandered towards Omega. Idly fingering my hair I spun out from the pilot's chair to my feet, heading to the elevator to my cabin. Ahh, I guess I'm should call myself a cyborg now…ah well. Time to sleep.
"Stop. Invitation only."
"Can you tell Aria that a dead human would like to have chat." I said, with a playful lilt to my voice. "She knows who I am."
The Batarian studied my smiling face before comming in. Since no one should recognize me, I just smiled at him showing a little teeth. Before entering the Terminus system I disguised the Normandy with a new paintjob as well as some modifications so no one can recognize the ship as well as disguising myself with a different face and black hair, studying my face in my bathroom mirror I looked like Ashley's half sister.
"Got a human here that wants to talk to Aria…sais she knows her…tell Aria that a dead human wants to have a chat…right." As the batarian waited in front of the door for an answer, I looked around. Afterlife really didn't change much since I've been gone so mostly I just felt nostalgic as I looked around. Then I spotted a hidden camera looking at me and decided to waved and smile at it.
"You got the green light. Go on through." The guard keyed in a number code for the door before waving me through.
As I entered the room that overlooked the Afterlife, Aria was in her usual 'looking over my kingdom with my back facing the guest' stance, then she turned to look at me.
"Hello Aria, it's been awhile." I let the holographic disguise drop, letting my face and hair return to normal.
"Shepard," Aria raised her brow, the only indication that said she was surprised. "Back from the afterlife once again with some tricks, I see."